Concierge Healthcare: All-Encompassing Patient-Oriented Care

Over the past decade, the rising costs in healthcare spending pushed the government and industry to reassess the efficiency of the public healthcare system. More and more players in the healthcare sector are campaigning for a shift to patient-oriented care, where the priority is satisfying the patient’s medical preferences, requirements, and expectations.

At the heart of this model is the doctor-patient relationship. By giving adequate time and medical attention to the patient, the doctor is not only building trust and confidence, but also gaining a deeper understanding of the condition and what procedures are aligned with the patient’s values. This addresses many of the weaknesses of the current healthcare system. In the traditional practice of physician-centered, fee-for-service care delivery, providers are focused on volume to increase revenues. This compromises the quality of care as physicians limit the amount of time spent on each patient to be able to attend to more. Indeed, such a practice has only resulted in ineffective treatments and costly readmissions, diagnostic tests, and referrals.

Patient-oriented care rectifies the situation by involving the client in decision-making about treatment options. To arrive at sound decisions, patients should be clearly informed about the clinical status and prognosis of their condition, and the processes involved in treatment.

What the traditional system lacks is a continuity in care. This is where concierge healthcare gets its appeal; providers are highly involved in the care management of patients outside of the doctor’s office.

Concierge healthcare becomes more about managing the disease to prevent complications and emergencies, ultimately reducing costs. When equipped with telehealth technology, services can include audio-visual consultation, online exchange of health data for remote tracking, and devices for monitoring vital signs. By augmenting concierge healthcare with technology, patients can access medical care virtually anywhere and anytime.

To facilitate self-care management, patients can be provided with educational resources such as online portals, online support groups, or SMS updates about health, outbreak alerts, or reminders sent to their mobile devices. Providing patients with sufficient information is an important strategy to ensuring that the doctor’s instructions are followed.

HExL managing partner Richard Kimball Jr. emphasizes the benefits of concierge telemedicine in moving from health repair to real, sustainable, and proactive healthcare. To achieve this, practitioners should shift their approach from the traditional volume-driven, fee-for-service practice to value-based service. Through these changes, the industry can build an effective healthcare system that improves the lives of Americans.